If, like me, you’ve become used to doing your own hair and beauty treatments over the past couple of years, you may well want to continue enjoying spa-like sessions at home. Here are some ideas to pamper yourself this autumn…
Whenever I have a wardrobe clear-out, I like to make the most of the items I’m decluttering, so here are some ideas for reusing (or retailing!) your old clothing…
As someone who ended up with quite a lot of student debt after graduating from university, I would have certainly done a few things differently – here’s my advice for organising your finances while you’re a student…
Did you know that shopping seasonally doesn’t only apply to food? When you buy any product there will be a cheaper season to buy it and you can make some impressive savings by purchasing at the right time of year. Here are some items that you’ll definitely get a deal on in September…
Seeing as it’s only 15 weeks until Christmas, I thought I would share some super-easy ways to start putting money aside now, so that you’ll be much more prepared when December rolls around…
Although these three lifestyles offer very different ideas they also have one important thing in comment – and that’s helping you to cut costs. Here’s how to adopt a ‘less is more’ mentality and save money as a thrifty essentialist minimalist…
2021 marks the 10th Anniversary of the My Thrifty Life blog and I’m excited to tell you what celebrations I’m planning and how you can get involved..!
Incorporating antiques is great way to add personality to your home. However, most of us haven’t inherited family heirlooms so, if you want to buy a special vintage piece for your home, here are some tips for going antique shopping on a budget…
When you’re starting out as a freelancer or launching your own company it’s an incredibly exciting time and here are some business essentials you may want to consider when you become self-employed…
Little ones grow up so fast and their needs change quickly – so if you’re buying new items for every stage of baby’s development, the costs soon add up. So, how can you save money & even get freebies while bringing up your little one? Here are some ideas:
When you’re searching for an affordable rental there’s much more to consider than just the monthly cost of rent. Here are 8 things you should factor into your budget when you’re moving into a rental property for the first time…
We all know money is essential to pay bills, buy things we need & care for the people we love. However, we often fail to realise that our finances are closely related to mental wellbeing. So how does mental health affect our finances & vice versa..?
What are your ‘lockdown lessons’? Do you have some fab food hacks or top kitchen tips? I was so chuffed when my own grow-your-own veggie patch project was highlighted by FoodSavvy earlier this week so here’s my lockdown allotment story…
I’m not a fan of clichés BUT when it comes to decorating your home, it’s probably useful to have a few in the back of your mind before starting a task. Not only will you save lots of time & effort, but also plenty of money too! Here’s how clichés help…
If you’ve ever said “all my money is gone by the end of the month, so how on earth am I supposed to save?” it’s because the little things all add up. Here’s why the conveniences of modern life are stopping you from saving money & what you can do about it:
If you’ve set some new years resolutions or are working toward an epic money goal, today’s post aims to help you achieve a happy medium with your plans that lets you be optimistic about the future while making the most of every day…
If you’re working remotely or have got kids studying at home, you might want to DIY a desk to make home-working easier. Or you can use it as a console table to tidy up the keys, cash & post that accumulate in your entryway. Grab an old drawer & let’s DIY..!
Yes! You CAN enjoy a fun & fulfilling Christmas without spending a fortune – you just need to get a bit creative with your time & money. And I’m here to help you! Here are some seasonal step-by-step guides & money-saving tips for a cracking Christmas…
If you’ve found yourself with free time during lockdown this year, you might be thinking of setting up a side-hustle to make extra money, or may even be planning to launch your own business. Here are some tips for getting started with your indie biz…
The clocks have gone back, the days are darker & the weather is colder. But that doesn’t mean we have to feel chilly all winter long. I’ve got some tips for staying warm at home without incurring extra heating costs…
In today’s post, I’m admitting to some rather messy habits I have but I want to share them for good reason – I think they actually save me both time and money every day. Do you do any of these hacks or have any similar time-saving tips? Let me know!
If you’re running a small business, it sometimes feels like social media and advertising takes up all your time – and even stops you doing the work you actually want to do! Here’s 3 ways you can grow your audience without giving up all your spare time…
It’s Backcare Awareness Week so I thought I would share my own experiences of pain, posture and preventative measures in today’s blog post, including the ways I’ve set up my work and sleep environments to help…
In honour of Recycle Week, I’m sharing my tips for enjoying tech in a sustainable way & without the hefty price-tag. Plus, I’ve upcycled & personalised a refurbished phone so I hope you’ll try out this easy DIY decal project too…
Even if your travel plans are currently on-hold it doesn’t stop you from dreaming about future trips. In fact, looking forward to a something can be beneficial to your mental health. Here’s how to make exciting plans without spending a penny…
If you’ve got a glut of tomatoes all ripening at once (yes, this is me!) here’s a delicious recipe to turn them into an autumnal spiced chutney. I’m already excited to open up a pot this winter to enjoy with my Christmas cheeseboard!
We all have goals for our careers & professional lives, but how many of us have money goals too? As a big #MoneyTwitter fan, I’ve put together some ways you can plan, save and achieve your future money goals…
It’s only 99 sleeps until Christmas! And you know how fast those days go. So I thought I would share a quick blog post about saving money for Christmas 2020, and how you can make some extra cash to add to the piggy bank…
Many people – freelance or otherwise – are choosing to work from home if they can. While this may minimise the impact on our physical health, our mental health could suffer – so it’s important to know how to get the support you need if you’re staying in…
If funds are looking a little low & you need to make some cash in a flash, you don’t even have to leave your house in order to add to your savings pot – here are some ideas for making extra money this month…
It’s finally the summer holidays, but it feels a bit weird, doesn’t it? So what can you do this summer if you want to have a break but have a budget to stick to? Here are some ideas…
If you’ve got a rusty old bicycle that has seen better days, don’t chuck it out just yet – you can renovate it to give it a new lease of life, or upcycle it to use as a pretty planter in your cottage garden. Here’s how to revamp your old bike…
Many of our vehicles have been sat still in garages & on driveways for weeks, but don’t worry – we will be out on roads again in the future! So, to ensure our car remains usable, we need to maintain our cars in the meantime – here’s how…
You have more food in the house than you think. You just have to plan ahead, & the most important step is doing a cupboard inventory. Here’s how to turn those store-cupboard items in your pantry into healthy meals for your family…
I always try to look for the bright side in any situation & it was while checking my monthly budget that I noticed a pleasing change – I’ve already saved money since working from home! Here’s why…
If you’ve got a full house, with kids at home & pets skidding around, it’s likely that your floors will take the brunt of this. Here’s how to effectively clean drink spills, crayon marks, shoe polish stains & slime off your flooring…
If you’re developing a new website or redesigning your existing blog, today’s post will take you through the options for personalising your theme with unique fonts to help your design stand out from all the rest…
Whether you’ve dabbed with blogging in the past, or are completely new to it but would like to start sharing your ideas online, maybe now is the time to give it a go. If you’re planning to start a blog, website or even build an online shop, here’s some advice from someone (me!) who has been doing it for over a decade..!
While you might not be thinking about travelling anywhere at the moment, that doesn’t mean we can’t think about our future travels. In fact, it’s the perfect time to take stock of the way we travel & to give you something lovely to look forward to..!
If you want to get a high-end look for your furniture but are on a flat-pack budget, don’t despair. It can be done! Today I’m sharing three of designer Melanie Lissack’s amazing IKEA transformations to inspire you…
There are savings to be had by shopping online, but there are even bigger savings to be made when you know how to tap into special discounts and deals. Here are three easy ways to save money on products that you already want to buy – by simply letting the offers come to you..!
I’ve been doing the #FoodSavvy challenge throughout February and it’s been an eye-opener. Firstly because I couldn’t quite believe just how much food and plastic I had been wasting before the challenge and, secondly, because I was surprised at how easy it was to change my habits to create a more food savvy kitchen. Here’s what I discovered…
If you’re planning a wedding this year, you’ll no doubt be searching the internet for inspiration for your big day. I’ve been doing some thrifty wedding research & here are some inspirational wedding blogs to help you save money on your big day & give you plenty of ideas for personalising the event.
Did you know that in Norfolk and Suffolk alone 113,000 tonnes of food is wasted each year? It’s such a shame that we are wasting so much food – both financially & environmentally. The aim of the #FoodSavvy challenge is to reduce our food waste by 20% & decrease single-use plastics by 10% within a month. Can it be done? Here’s my plan…
If you love to share your photographs on social media, you’ll no doubt have spotted the latest photography trends on the platforms you use. If you want to replicate those cool photos for yourself, here’s how to get the look for less…
Whether you’re renting or buying, space comes at a premium in any property. The more spacious your interior, the greater the cost of your rent or mortgage. So if you opt for a smaller home & here’s how to use the space you have to best effect…
When you need to invest in big ticket items, such as appliances, sofas, electronics & even cars, it can take a big chunk of money out of your monthly budget. Here are some helpful hacks to cut costs when you’re next shopping for those expensive items…
There just aren’t enough hours in the day, are there? Your to-do list of cleaning, shopping and adulting tasks takes up so much time! Here are some ways to minimise the chores you have to do and free up some relaxation time for yourself..
Happy new year! How was your Christmas and new year? What plans do you have for 2020? And the coming decade, for that matter?! If you’re anything like me, you’ll be raring to get started on your goals for the year and will be excited about what the year brings. So I thought I’d share what I’ve been up to, along with some plans for my life and blog…
When midnight comes on New Year’s Eve it feels like a new start & we’re fired with enthusiasm for the year to come. Often, our new year’s resolutions are financial so here are some tips from an expert for setting achievable money resolutions for 2020…
When looking for ways to be frugal, it’s a good idea to look through all the categories in your budget as there are always some places you can save money or some bills that could be a little lower. While it’s essential to get the optimum care and products for your pet, shopping around and being a little wiser to better deals means you can cut a substantial amount from your petcare budget. Here are 4 ways you can look to reduce your petcare outgoings…
Thrifty living is a great way to make your money go further but it’s only a part of the story. You need to ensure that the cash you save works as hard as possible for you. That means saving and investing that cash wisely – starting in January! Below is a brief overview of the various ways you could do this…
If you’ve got guests visiting over the festive season, are planning a big New Year’s Eve party, or simply want to dress up your dining table for a special family Christmas today’s easy DIYs will help you create magical place settings for next to nothing..!
If you have a quite few people to buy for this Christmas, the thrifty way to give your friends & family a treat is by creating a gift hamper. My friend Alina loves to make her own things so this year she decided to make her mum a DIY Christmas hamper full of homemade jam and other festive additions so I asked her to break down the steps she took to DIY the perfect hamper…
With Black Friday and Cyber Monday sneaking up on us, this seems to be the weekend that people really throw themselves into their Christmas shopping.
Driving the latest car can leave you feeling on top of the world, but it’s also incredibly expensive. So, if you’re looking to drive top-of-the-range vehicles without paying through the nose, here are some great tips from industry pros to help you save money & take pride in your ride…
With Black Friday approaching at the end of this week, and many sales already in progress, it can be tempting to succumb to those deals. You might end up spending more than you intended to (and just before Christmas too) when a deal sounds too good to miss but Black Friday isn’t the only way you can get a bargain on furniture…
If you’ve ever wondered how bloggers and Instagrammers create those beautiful quote images to post on their social accounts you’ve come to the right place. Today I’m sharing a step-by-step guide to DIY your own digital images with motivational mental health quotes ready to share on your story, grid, feed or board – here’s how…
Without the worry of maintenance and reliability, car leasing can be a handy way to stick to a budget while still driving the latest vehicles. But what if you have a family? Is leasing a good option if you have kids? Here are some of the pros and cons:
Simple maintenance tasks that to ensure that your car keeps running smoothly. Not only will these fortnightly, monthly and yearly checks help to keep your vehicle in good condition, they’ll also allow you to solve any problems as soon as they arise – and before they become bigger, more costly issues. Here are some vehicle maintenance tips that might help you cut the cost of car ownership:
Do you enjoy making things? Do you love to save money? Do you want unique decorations that no-one else has? Then it’s time to make your own! I’m getting a head start on my Christmas preparations this month and have made three scandi-style decor projects that you can easily replicate at home. Or you could use these ideas as a starting point for your own designs – it might be the inspiration you need to get you started on crafting your own festive decor…
I sometimes just get the urge to shop. Even as a wannabe-minimalist and thrifty gal (whose job relies on it!) it is sometimes just too hard to resist the lure of the high street. If you’re trying to stash the cash (like me) but sometimes just get the urge to shop (also like me) here are 5 things you can do instead to satisfy that urge to shop while still saving money…
Did you know that in 2017-18 the outgoings of households in the UK was greater than their income for the first time in nearly 30 years? I was reading a report by the Office of National Statistics and it got me thinking about those financial commitments many people have that we could perhaps lower (or scrap altogether) in order to make up that shortfall and live within our means.
#SecondhandSeptember got me thinking about sustainable shopping so I thought I’d share some research into fast fashion & come up with some thrifty alternatives…
On my recent short break I went on a couple of train journeys. Not only was it very enjoyable to sit back and take in the scenery rather than having to drive and navigate, it also turned out to be somewhat of a money-saving venture too. Here’s why travelling by train can save you money in some rather unexpected ways…
If you’ve never bought from an auction house before it’s a fun, action-packed second-hand shopping experience that could save you ££s so here’s how to start buying at auctions without – & here’s the best bit – leaving the comfort of your own home…!
If you’ve got kids, you’ll probably agree that kids’ clothing essentials soon add up and can take a big chunk out of your budget. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a more frugal way of shopping for your youngsters…
Have you ever wondered what you can do to improve your retirement income? It may feel far away for some of us and for others it might be fast approaching. Either way, you’ll want to feel secure in your retirement and make sure you have enough money to live on, so how can you add more to your retirement fund right now..?
While more and more people every day are looking for new methods to go green at home, many start with their own kitchens. You may be surprised to learn that each kitchen is adding to the nation’s environmental damage every day and even the smallest of changes can make a significant difference. To give you a few ideas, here are four simple tips that can make your kitchen a greener and more environmentally friendly place…
For this month’s Reclaim magazine I wrote about Ercol for the mid-century modern Design Icon column. And my research led me to some surprising results…
